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Disclaimer:'MS Views and News' DOES NOT endorse any products or services found on this blog. It is up to you to seek advice from your healthcare provider. The intent of this blog is to provide information on various medical conditions, medications, treatments, for your personal knowledge and to keep you informed of current health-related issues. It is not a substitute for the advice of your physician. Should you or your family members have any specific medical problem, seek medical care promptly.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) announced today the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has found in favor of Teva in the Company's patent infringement lawsuit against Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc./Sandoz Inc. and Mylan Laboratories Inc./Natco Pharmaceuticals regarding Teva's relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) product, COPAXONE®. Teva filed suit against Momenta/Sandoz and Mylan/Natco for infringement of multiple patents covering the chemical composition of COPAXONE®, methods of using the product and processes for manufacturing the product. This decision covers several patents, the last of which expires on September 1, 2015.

The judge rejected Momenta/Sandoz and Mylan/Natco's claims that the COPAXONE® patents are invalid and unenforceable and found that the purported generic versions of COPAXONE® for which Momenta/Sandoz and Mylan/Natco seek Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval infringe those patents. This ruling should prevent the FDA from approving, and the defendants from selling their purported generic versions of COPAXONE® in the U.S. until the Orange Book patents expire on May 24, 2014. As a result of this ruling, Teva also believes that the defendants will be enjoined from selling their products until the process patent expires on September 1, 2015

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Ampyra Dialogues

The conversation about walking starts now!

Welcome to Ampyra Dialogues, the first-ever talk show focusing on walking problems in MS. Host Kristie Salerno Kent leads an exciting discussion with families and medical experts who offer important advice that can help you do something about walking problems. Join Kristie and her guests for this groundbreaking program. The first episode is available starting May 30, 2012. You can watch every episode right here on the Ampyra Journeys website.

Ampyra Dialogues

Kristie Salerno Kent is a paid spokesperson for Acorda Therapeutics®, Inc. The people interviewed by Kristie for the Ampyra Dialogues video series are real people living with MS and real health care professionals who treat people with MS. All participants have been compensated for their time.

As part of our ongoing commitment to patients, Biogen Idec provides a variety of support services for patients and caregivers through MS ActiveSource®. These world-class services are thoughtfully crafted around the informational, emotional, financial and logistical needs that come with living with the diseases our products treat.

At MS ActiveSource, our ActiveSourceTM Coordinators provide support to people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) so they may live better lives. We also assist physicians and other health care professionals who are looking for medical and other information about our drugs and their uses.

Annually, MS ActiveSource handles more than 800,000 calls through our call center, where our highly trained coordinators help MS patients, including patients currently taking or considering AVONEX® (interferon beta-1a) and TYSABRI®(natalizumab). Among the full suite of services offered at MS ActiveSource, we also offer nursing support so patients can receive the training and support needed to help them start and successfully stay on their therapies. Additionally, MS ActiveSource is a great resource for general MS information and educational materials available via phone, web or email.

It is the safety and effectiveness of our products that gives us an edge of overall quality. Our quality assurance starts at the research laboratories, and concludes at market surveillance. But we do not stop there; we incorporate quality into our organizational culture, raising organizational awareness in every single action we take.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in a Town Hall Discussion on Aging in Multiple Sclerosis presented by the IOMSN (International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses). Marijean Buhse, PhD RN NP MSCN was the featured speaker. As a Nursing Researcher and faculty member at Stonybrook School of Nursing on Long Island, she has spent several years observing aging patterns in the MS patient. I will provide a link at the end of this article so that those who wish may listen to her presentation on Podcast.

One of the things that she said that really struck me was that most of us living with MS, will live with the condition for more than 50 years before we die. She said that at least 90% of us will live a lifespan that meets or exceeds that of our age group in general. HOWEVER, those of us with a Chronic illness such as MS or Lupus or RA are only now being looked at as Aged NOT at age 65 or 70 but starting as early as 55 because of the long term strain on our bodies from having a chronic illness and also from the aging of the kidney or liver from processing the symptom management and disease modifying treatments to improve our quality of life. For us, this may mean Drugs are not metabolized as safely or efficiently and we may need lower dosing or avoidance of certain substances altogether.

Living with multiple sclerosis means living with uncertainty. The course of the disease is very difficult for doctors to predict. Some people live with MS for years without suffering serious symptoms. Others may rapidly become disabled. Why the course of the disease varies so widely remains unclear. One thing is certain. Most people with MS experience periodic relapses, also called flare-ups or attacks. These can be mild or severe. They may show up in many different ways. Symptoms can include:

ØMuscle weakness

ØVisual disturbances

ØBalance problems

ØMemory loss

ØLoss of bowel or bladder control

“Between 85% and 95% of MS patients begin with what we call remitting/relapsing MS,” says Anne Cross, MD, professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine. During that phase of the disease, the pattern of relapses varies widely among patients. Some people have frequent relapses. Others have very few. The average is typically one to two attacks a year, according to Cross.

Doctors can help MS patients live as active and normal a life as possible by treating acute relapses as soon as they occur. Yet there are instances when doctors may recommend not treating a relapse.

Definitely, says Tanuja Chitnis, MD, assistant professor of neurology and director of the Partners Pediatric MS Center at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children. In fact, she routinely recommends exercising two to three times a week to people living with MS as a part of a healthy lifestyle. And exercise has been found to have a number of benefits for people with multiple sclerosis, helping to control common symptoms of the disease such as fatigue, depression, and even bladder and bowel dysfunction.

Before starting any MS exercise program, however, it is wise to consult with your doctor. He or she may also recommend that you meet with a physical therapist who can develop a program of exercises that are specifically tailored to address your multiple sclerosis symptoms and to help you build strength and flexibility where you need it most.

MS Exercise: Getting StartedWhen starting an MS exercise program, remember to have fun, take it slowly, and listen to what your body is telling you. Jumping right in can lead to injury or fatigue, which may discourage you from maintaining your MS exercise routine over the long term. Your body can tell you if you're working too hard or if you can afford to turn up the intensity. If you experience pain during a workout, stop and check with an expert who can recommend an alternative to the exercise.

MS Exercise Classes Check with your local MS support group or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for help in finding fitness centers near you that have specific MS exercise classes geared to mobility-impaired people. If you don't have any MS exercise classes in your area, most instructors are willing to work with you to help meet your needs. Check in with the teachers before the beginning of the classes, and they can demonstrate alternatives to the movements or postures that might be difficult for you.

Some specific types of exercise you might want to try include:

Yoga. This ancient regimen is a great way to stay flexible and has also been shown to have scientifically proven benefits for people living with MS. Yoga classes are offered at a variety of levels, from gentle to moderate to high intensity. When starting any new exercise routine, it's advisable to start slowly. If the intensity of the class is not clearly described on the schedule, call ahead to find out which class would be right for you. Another advantage of yoga is that it is highly modifiable. A good teacher can show you alternative postures if you explain your limitations before class.

Some styles of yoga, including "hot yoga" and "Birkram yoga," are practiced in hot rooms. Since people with multiple sclerosis can suffer from heat intolerance, it is a good idea to avoid these styles.

Tai chi. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMMS) reports that people with multiple sclerosis have used tai chi as a way to improve balance, and studies non-specific to MS indicate that tai chi can help not only with balance but with blood pressure and heart health as well. A staple of Chinese fitness, tai chi uses a series of slow, controlled movements to build muscle tone and increase flexibility. NMMS recommends tai chi for its adaptive nature. In fact, wheelchair tai chi is gaining in popularity in China and other countries.

Aquatics. Water aerobics and other aquatic fitness programs are a great way for people with multiple sclerosis to exercise. Bodies are buoyant in water, which takes weight off the joints and allows for a greater range of movement. Exercising in water has an added benefit for people with MS: The cool temperature of the water can allow you to extend your workout without risk of overheating.

No matter what exercise you choose, one of the most important steps in any exercise program is the very first one: get moving!

Nurses and Nurse
Practitioners who treat MS patients and nurses and other health care
professionals who would like to expand their knowledge of MS Care.

The nurse who provides
care for the MS patient plays a vital role in empowering the MS patient to
understand, cope with and manage their disease. This unique symposium has been
developed to provide information which will help nurses be better able to
assist the MS patient in all aspects of managing their disease process.

For more information contact us
at 1-888-MSFOCUS (673-6287) extension 148 or cruise@msfocus.org.

Clinical Notes: MS Patients Gain Weekly Drug Dose

A mainstay of multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy can be given three times weekly instead of the current daily injection, a study found. Also this week: genetic testing for "racial purity."

Copaxone OK for Less Frequent Dosing

Glatiramer acetate (Copaxone), one of the two front-line injectable drugs for MS, may not have to be administered every day as is currently the case, its manufacturer suggested.

In an international placebo-controlled trial called GALA involving more than 1,400 patients, a three-times weekly schedule with 40 mg per injection -- double the daily dose -- met the study's primary endpoint by reducing annualized relapse rates by 34.4% relative to placebo, according to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.

"Initial analysis of the data indicates that secondary clinical endpoints were achieved, with the exception of reduction in brain atrophy," the company said in a statement.

The need for daily injections is considered one of the main drawbacks of glatiramer acetate.

Teva said a 1-year open-label extension of the GALA trial is now underway.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

A Genetic Cause For Multiple Sclerosis Is Identified And Funded By Science Patron, Jeffrey Epstein

The CYP27B1 gene is discovered by Oxford University to be a leading cause for multiple sclerosis

NEW YORK, June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- A recent study at Oxford University in England and published in Annals of Neurology, has identified a gene that causes vitamin D deficiency and may also be the cause of multiple sclerosis. The study was partly funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, The Wellcome Trust and the support of science investor, Jeffrey Epstein and The Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation.

The cause of myelin damage is still hotly debated: some believe it to be an autoimmune disease while others cite viruses or the environment as the culprit. There is growing evidence however of a correlation between multiple sclerosis and vitamin D deficiency. Epidemiological studies also show that populations closer to the equator and the sun, have far fewer case of multiple sclerosis than populations closer to the north or south poles. Researchers at Oxford University have now taken this premise a step further by showing that vitamin D deficiency and therefore multiple sclerosis could have a genetic cause.

The online edition of Nature Neuroscience reports that researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have discovered that a substance within growth promoting human mesenchymal stem cells seems to spur restoration of nerves and their function in mice models with multiple sclerosis (MS).

SYMPTOMS of MS

In multiple sclerosis , damage to the myelin in the central nervous system (CNS), and to the nerve fibers themselves, interferes with the transmission of nerve signals between the brain and spinal cord and other parts of the body. This disruption of nerve signals produces the primary symptoms of MS, which vary depending on where the damage has occurred.

Over the course of the disease, some symptoms will come and go, while others may be more lasting.

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